La vita quotidiana a Roma all'apogeo dell'impero

I picked this one up at my favorite resale shop in San Francisco, carrying it back to Chicago to read, the only book purchased there held on to. The rest were given away to various hosts. Although translated from the French and although old, dating from 1940, Carcopino's reconstruction of late Republ Leggi tutto

3.5 fantastically richly detailed and lyrical prose bringing you closer than ever to the life of Romans but some really antiquated and bigoted chapters about women and slavery in Rome spoil it. Also I looked up the author and he was a Vichy government minister 💀 L.

Continua il mio approfondimento sulla vita quotidiana nella capitale, con grande sfizio. Questo è curatissimo, ricco anzi strabordare di dettagli: mostra l' evoluzione dei costumi e tanti aspetti minori della vita di tutti i giorni. L' ho trovato più approfondito e corposo del volume sulla Roma Repu Leggi tutto

Looking at other reviews, I'm not sure we all read the same book! Quot homines, tot sententiae. I first read this long ago as an undergraduate. I no longer have that copy, but the newer second edition with an introduction and bibliographical update by Mary Beard. Definitely get this one if you are r Leggi tutto

FULL NERD DISCLOSURE: I picked this up to give myself a decent research backbone for a piece of fan fiction I was writing (wow, that is - pretty nerdy). I didn't need an excess of details but wanted to start somewhere and find some interesting facts about ancient Rome without, you know, going back t Leggi tutto

I read this immediately after Mary Beard's SPQR, and in that context the authori seems too gushing in his love for Ancient Rome and not questioning enough. Where Mary Beard is a scientist, Carcopino is a gushing gossip. None the less, the gossip is quite fun and interesting.